apple's stock has declined around $300 since last fall. microsoft is the latest focus of activist shareholders. shares of microsoft jumped $1.07 on a cnbc report that activist investor group valueact has taken a $2-billion stake in the company. one of the complaints from the activist group is the stock is little changed from 11 years ago. already this year, apple, jc penney and herbalife have gained the attention of activists. ralph lauren clothing company will pay $1.6 million to settle a bribery scandal. one of its subsidiaries is accused of bribing officials in argentina. according to the the u.s. department of justice, arginentinian customs officials allegedly were given money to clear merchandise. rl stock fell $3 in trading monday. a report out of europe shows the region is making a dent on its debt. the eurozone's collective deficit decreased in 2012. its most financially strapped countries, including ireland, greece and italy, have trimmed or stabilized deficits, while more secure nations like germany have pulled back on spending.